New section of Highway 26 open

Hitting the open road

Wednesday, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation opened the new section of Highway 26, between Wasaga Beach and Collingwood.

It takes about 10 minutes to travel the new four-lane divided controlled-access highway.

Roundabouts are located at Nottawasaga 33/34 Sideroad and Poplar Sideroad.

The ministry says construction of a third roundabout at Beachwood Road [old Highway 26] and Mosley Street in Wasaga Beach will start soon.

Drivers are encouraged to slow down as they approach a roundabout. If you're turning left or heading straight, choose the inside lane and choose the outside lane if you're heading right.

Traffic in the roundabout has the right-of-way and drivers should give large vehicles extra space as well as avoid passing in the roundabout.

Most motorists seemed to safely navigate the new roundabouts on Thursday morning but occasionally vehicles were seen failing to yield.

Drivers are also encouraged to watch for pedestrians crossing the roadway when approaching or exiting a roundabout.

The ministry chose to proceed with roundabouts because of a 2006 report that showed roundabouts cause fewer crashes, result in less idling and improve traffic flow.

"Our government had made unprecedented investments in highway infrastructure across the province, creating jobs and strengthening our economy," Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli said in a statement. "Safety is our top priority, and reports have shown that roundabouts significantly reduce vehicle collisions causing injury by 76 per cent.

The province built its first roundabout in 2009 near Picton, at Highway 33 and County Road 1.

Three other provincial roundabouts exist in the province: one in Mattawa, east of North Bay, another in Hamilton and one in Windsor.

Municipally built roundabouts also exist in the province. They can be found in such places as Collingwood and St. Jacob's.